Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- artifact / ˈɑr təˌfækt / (n.) – an object made by people in the past that has historical importance
Example:The museum displayed ancient artifacts from India, such as pottery and jewelry.
- fuse / fyuz / (v.) – to combine two or more different things
Example:The two teams fuse their ideas to develop a new product for the company.
- patch up / pætʃ ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to repair something, usually by putting or adding new material to it
Example:They regularly patch up old roofs to make them look new and ensure they do not leak when it rains.
- monotonous / məˈnɒt n əs / (adj.) – not changing; being always the same
Example:She wanted to change her monotonous routine and try something new.
- restoration / ˌrɛs təˈreɪ ʃən / (n.) – the process of repairing, returning, or bringing back something to its original condition
Example:After the fire, the government ordered the restoration of the ancient temple.
Article
Read the text below.
It’s highly technical work in what looks more like a lab than a museum: a fragment of a glazed roof tile from Beijing’s Forbidden City is analyzed in a state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction machine that produces images which are then projected onto computer screens.
The fragment being examined has a dark area on its surface that restorers want to understand. Their objective is to better preserve the artifacts at the sprawling imperial palace, the former home of China’s emperors and its seat of power for hundreds of years.
“We want to learn what the black material is,” said Kang Baoqiang, one of the restorers at the complex, today a museum that attracts tourists from all over the world. “Whether it’s atmospheric sediment or the result of substantial change from within.”
About 150 workers on the team fuse scientific analysis and traditional techniques to clean, patch up and otherwise revive the more than 1.8 million relics in the museum’s collection. They include scroll paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics—and, somewhat unexpectedly, ornate antique clocks that were gifted to emperors by early European visitors.
Down the hall from the X-ray room, two other restorers patch up holes on a panel of patterned green silk with the Chinese character for “longevity” sewn into it, carefully adding color in a process called “inpainting.” The piece is believed to have been a birthday gift to Empress Dowager Cixi, the power behind the throne in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Much of the work is laborious and monotonous—and takes months to complete.
“I don’t have the big dreams of protecting traditional cultural heritage that people talk about,” said Wang Nan, one of the restorers. “I simply enjoy the sense of achievement when an antique piece is fixed.”
Restoration techniques have also evolved, said Qu Feng, head of the museum’s Conservation Department, though the old ways remain the foundation of the work.
When we preserve an antique piece, we “protect the cultural values it carries,” Qu said. “And that is our ultimate goal.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Qu Feng believes that preserving antique pieces helps protect cultural values. Why do you think it’s important to protect cultural values? Aside from preserving antique pieces, what could people do to protect their country’s cultural values? Discuss.
- In the rise of modern technology, do you think people in your country still give importance to preserving antique pieces or protecting cultural values? Why or why not? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Much of the restoration work is laborious and monotonous—and takes months to complete. Would you be interested in doing restoration work? Why or why not? What do you think should be the characteristics of a person to become a good restorer? Discuss.
- Who do you think should be responsible for restoration work—governments, private organizations, or individuals? Why do you think so? Discuss.
